The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has been awarded a five-year Cancer Center Core Support Grant (CCSG) in the amount of $27.5 million from the National Cancer Institute.
“We are honored that the NCI renewed our core grant for the 10th time, bringing us to more than five decades of continuous funding,” said Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The center is the only NCI-designated center in Alabama and in a four-state region. It is also one of the first eight NCI-designated centers in the U.S.
This year’s grant renewal received the highest impact score in its history, resulting in a ranking of “outstanding” from the NCI.
The grant, which complements more than $50 million annually in cancer-focused research grants supporting O’Neal scientists, is foundational to achieving the center’s mission to advance its understanding of cancer in order to improve prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship.
Last year, the center enrolled 439 participants in clinical trials, which is one way physicians and scientists actively participate in efforts to improve cancer therapies, diagnostic techniques and prevention strategies.
“Today many patients on clinical trials are experiencing remarkable, disease-altering effects on cancers that were uniformly lethal just yesterday,” Sleckman said. “For this reason, offering cancer patients clinical trial opportunities is really the standard of care for cancer at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our CCSG ensures that this can continue to be a top priority, and we look forward to expanding our efforts in this endeavor.”
